Control of African lovegrass by flupropanate in a flora conservation context

Carl R. Gosper; Julia Cullity; Grazyna Paczkowska

doi:10.1071/BT25005

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Next Contents Vol 73(5)

Control of African lovegrass by flupropanate in a flora conservation context

Carl R. Gosper

^A ^* , Julia Cullity ^B and Grazyna Paczkowska ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, WA 6983, Australia.

^B Swan Region, Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Cnr Australia II Drive and Hackett Drive, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: carl.gosper@dbca.wa.gov.au

Handling Editor: Tony Auld

Australian Journal of Botany 73, BT25005 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT25005

Submitted: 4 February 2025 Accepted: 7 July 2025 Published: 25 July 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Managing widespread invasive plants to support biodiversity conservation is a significant challenge that requires weed control methods that have lesser impacts on co-occurring native species than ongoing weed invasion. African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) is a perennial grass invasive in many regions globally. There is a lack of effective control options, particularly in diverse native vegetation where application of broad-spectrum herbicide has risks of unacceptable off-target impacts.

Aims

We tested the effectiveness of flupropanate (sodium 2,2,3,3-tetra-fluoropropionate) in controlling African lovegrass in a conservation context in Mediterranean-climate south-western Australia, testing two application rates and measuring target and off-target impact.

Methods

Cover and condition (alive or dead) of plant species were measured in replicate plots in a ‘before-after-control-impact’ design. A small sample of endangered Grevillea curviloba individuals was deliberately treated with flupropanate.

Key results

Flupropanate significantly reduced African lovegrass cover, with greater reduction at the higher application rate. No significant off-target effects could be detected at a community or plant functional group level nor in the deliberate exposure of G. curviloba.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that flupropanate is effective in controlling African lovegrass in conservation settings in south-western Australia, including where G. curviloba is present. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the use of flupropanate for invasive grass management.

Implications

Possible off-target impacts on a single species in this study, and stronger evidence from other sources, suggest that robust testing of the susceptibility of conservation-listed flora to flupropanate should precede application in the habitat of these species.

Keywords: asset protection, Eragrostis curvula, invasive grass, off-target impact, selective herbicide, south-western Australia, threatened flora, weed management.

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